Fisherman Treads Water For 23 Hours Before Rescuers Saw His Watch Reflection

Could you tread water for 23 hours…if your life depended on it?

61-year-old fisherman Will Fransen was faced with having to do just that on a recent fishing trip. He is extremely glad to be alive after what happened off the coast of New Zealand.   He was struggling to reel in a marlin when suddenly, he was yanked overboard…NOT wearing a lifejacket.

He started drifting and ended up treading water for 23 hours and at one point he was circled by a shark.  He said, “He went around, had a bit of a look, and decided I wasn’t very tasty.”

He was shivering, singing songs to himself and sometimes hallucinating. But when it seemed like there was no hope, there was a passing boat! So he used the reflection from his wristwatch to get their attention!

James McDonnell was one of his rescuers and said Fransen looked pale and cold when he and others saved him that next day.

“It’s an incredible story and I don’t think too many people would believe us, but hey, Will’s there to tell the tale.”